Overview
- Peruvian paleontologists presented the nearly complete Miocene skeleton at Ingemmet in Lima, identifying the specimen as Lomacetus.
- The fossil, dated by researchers to roughly 8–12 million years, preserves most of the 3.5-meter animal and will enable studies of locomotion, feeding and lifespan.
- Scientists say the South Pacific find broadens the known range of Lomacetus and raises questions about Miocene dispersal routes.
- The team plans laboratory study followed by public exhibition, with the piece expected to join national museum collections.
- Experts stress Ocucaje’s global importance for marine fossils and warn of ongoing risks from looting and informal expansion as a proposed protected zone remains under review.